1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to certain inhibitors of MEK which are useful in the treatment of hyperproliferative diseases, such as cancer, in mammals. This invention also relates to a method of using such compounds in the treatment of hyperproliferative diseases in mammals, especially humans, and to pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds.
2. State of the Art
Improvements in the specificity of agents used to treat cancer is of considerable interest because of the therapeutic benefits which would be realized if the side effects associated with the administration of these agents could be reduced. Traditionally, dramatic improvements in the treatment of cancer are associated with identification of therapeutic agents acting through novel mechanisms.
Protein kinases are enzymes that catalyze the phosphorylation of proteins, in particular, hydroxy groups on tyrosine, serine and threonine residues of proteins. The consequences of this seemingly simple activity are staggering; cell differentiation and proliferation; i.e., virtually all aspects of cell life in one-way or another depend on protein kinase activity. Furthermore, abnormal protein kinase activity has been related to a host of disorders, ranging from relatively non-life threatening diseases such as psoriasis to extremely virulent diseases such as glioblastoma (brain cancer).
Protein kinases can be categorized as receptor type or non-receptor type. Receptor-type tyrosine kinases have an extracellular, a transmembrane, and an intracellular portion, while non-receptor type tyrosine kinases are wholly intracellular. They are comprised of a large number of transmembrane receptors with diverse biological activity. In fact, about 20 different subfamilies of receptor-type tyrosine kinases have been identified. One tyrosine kinase subfamily, designated the HER subfamily, is comprised of EGFR (HER1), HER2, HER3, and HER4. Ligands of this subfamily of receptors identified so far include epithelial growth factor, TGF-alpha, amphiregulin, HB-EGF, betacellulin and heregulin. Another subfamily of these receptor-type tyrosine kinases is the insulin subfamily, which includes INS-R, IGF-IR, and IR-R. The PDGF subfamily includes the PDGF-alpha and beta receptors, CSFIR, c-kit and FLK-II. In addition, there is the FLK family, which is comprised of the kinase insert domain receptor (KDR), fetal liver kinase-1 (FLK-1), fetal liver kinase-4 (FLK-4) and the fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (fit-1). The PDGF and FLK families are usually considered together due to the similarities of the two groups. For a detailed discussion of the receptor-type tyrosine kinases, see Plowman et al., DN&P 7(6): 334-339, 1994, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The non-receptor type of tyrosine kinases is also comprised of numerous subfamilies, including Src, Frk, Btk, Csk, Abl, Zap70, Fes/Fps, Fak, Jak, Ack, and LIMK. Each of these subfamilies is further sub-divided into varying receptors. For example, the Src subfamily is one of the largest and includes Src, Yes, Fyn, Lyn, Lek, Blk, Hck, Fgr, and Yrk. The Src subfamily of enzymes has been linked to oncogenesis. For a more detailed discussion of the non-receptor type of tyrosine kinases, see Bolen, Oncogene, 8:2025-2031 (1993), which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Since protein kinases and their ligands play critical roles in various cellular activities, deregulation of protein kinase enzymatic activity can lead to altered cellular properties, such as uncontrolled cell growth associated with cancer. In addition to oncological indications, altered kinase signaling is implicated in numerous other pathological diseases. These include, but are not limited to: immunological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases, and degenerative diseases. Therefore, both receptor and non-receptor protein kinases are attractive targets for small molecule drug discovery.
One particularly attractive goal for therapeutic use of kinase modulation relates to oncological indications. For example, modulation of protein kinase activity for the treatment of cancer has been demonstrated successfully with the FDA approval of Gleevec® (imatinib mesylate, produced by Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation of East Hanover, N.J.) for the treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stroma cancers. Gleevec is a selective Abl kinase inhibitor.
Modulation (particularly inhibition) of cell proliferation and angiogenesis, two key cellular processes needed for tumor growth and survival (Matter A. Drug Disc Technol 2001 6, 1005-1024), is an attractive goal for development of small-molecule drugs. Anti-angiogenic therapy represents a potentially important approach for the treatment of solid tumors and other diseases associated with dysregulated vascularization, including ischemic coronary artery disease, diabetic retinopathy, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. As well, cell antiproliferative agents are desirable to slow or stop the growth of tumors.
One particularly attractive target for small-molecule modulation, with respect to antiangiogenic and antiproliferative activity is MEK. Inhibition of MEK1 (MAPK/ERK Kinase) is a promising strategy to control the growth of tumors that are dependent on aberrant ERK/MAPK pathway signaling (Solit et al., 2006; Wellbrock et al., 2004). The MEK-ERK signal transduction cascade is a conserved pathway which regulates cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in response to growth factors, cytokines, and hormones. This pathway operates downstream of Ras which is often upregulated or mutated in human tumors. It has been demonstrated that MEK is a critical effector of Ras function. The ERK/MAPK pathway is upregulated in 30% of all tumors and oncogenic activating mutations in K-Ras and B-Raf have been identified in 22% and 18% of all cancers respectively (Allen et al., 2003; Bamford S, 2004; Davies et al., 2002; Malumbres and Barbacid, 2003). A large portion of human cancers, including 66% (B-Raf) of malignant melanomas, 60% (K-Ras) and 4% (B-Raf) of pancreatic cancers, 50% of colorectal cancers (colon, in particular, K-Ras: 30%, B-Raf: 15%), 20% (K-Ras) of lung cancers, 27% (B-Raf) papillary and anaplastic thyroid cancer, and 10-20% (B-Raf) of endometriod ovarian cancers, harbor activating Ras and Raf mutations. It has been shown that inhibition of the ERK pathway, and in particular inhibition of MEK kinase activity, results in anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic effects largely due to a reduction of cell-cell contact and motility as well as downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. Furthermore, expression of dominant negative MEK, or ERK reduced the transforming ability of mutant Ras as seen in cell culture and in primary and metastatic growth of human tumor xenografts in vivo. Therefore, the MEK-ERK signal transduction pathway is an appropriate pathway to target for therapeutic intervention.
Accordingly, the identification of small-molecule compounds that specifically inhibit, regulate and/or modulate the signal transduction of kinases, particularly MEK, is desirable as a means to treat or prevent disease states associated with cancer and is an object of this invention.